Breathing attachment



June 17, 1930.

C. J. RODMAN BREATHING ATTACHMENT Filed D96. 21. 1922 Fans/armer m R m 0d T 0 WE Md 0.. C

m I C WITNESSES:

AT'TORNEY Patented June 1 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE J. RODMAN, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA BREATHING ATTACHMENT Application filed December 21, 1922. Serial No. 608,370.

This invention relates to means for providing an inert atmosphere in a vessel containing a liquid which deteriorates by contact with the air. More particularl ,this invention is adapted for use in electrical apparatus, such as transformers, circuit breakers and the like,

In such applications, it is present practice to fill the casing or tank containing the elec trical apparatus with an insulating oil which I has been carefully treated to remove injurious substances therefrom. Generally, the oil does not fill the tank completely but an air space is left to allow the oil to expand or contract upon heating and cooling of the apparatus. The air in the space above the oil, owing to the oxygen content thereof, reacts with the oil to form a sludge which impairs the insulating qualities thereof.

Alternate expansion and contraction of the oil, under changing temperature conditions, also causes what is known as breathing which serves to renew the supply of air and thus cause further sludging action.

My invention is adapted to avoid the above noted disadvantage, it being among the objects thereof to provide an apparatus which shall prevent oxidation of the oil by maintaining an inert atmosphere above the oil level.

It isa further object of my invention to provide a device which shall be sim le and compact in construction, which sha 1 contain inexpensive and readily renewable absorbent ingredients.

In practising my invention, I provide a vessel containing a substance capable of absorbing oxygen from the air, such as phosphorus, and I further provide means for drylngthe incoming air before the same reaches the deoxidizing agent, suitable traps being placed at various points in the device.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional View of my deoxidizing device, some parts being shown in elevation, and

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a transformer provided with my device.

A casing 1 is provided with a device 2, of inverted-cup or bell shape, having inlet 3 which communicates with the air space above the surface of the oil in a transformer or other casing. The device 2 is so held within a container 4 that its open end is located a short distance above the bottom of the container 4 and within a body of liquid 5, such as oil, to form a seal. A tube 6, opening into the top of container 4, communicates with a vessel 7 which is filled with a suitable deoxidizing agent 8, such as phosphorus.

An opening 9 in the bottom ofvessel 7 communicates with a tube 10 opening into the top of device 11 like or similar to the device 2 held within a container 12 that is like or similar to the container 4, and contains a suitable sealing liquid 13. An opening 14 in the the casing, the same expands, forcing the air which is above the surface thereof through tube 3 into the trap 24 -5, vessel 7, trap 1112+13, tube 16, vessel 15 and tube 18 to the atmosphere. Upon cooling of the oilin the casing, the reverse operation takes place, air being drawn in through tube 18, passing through the drier 15, which removes all moisture, then through trap 1112-l3 andvessel 7 where the phosphorus or other deoxidizing agent removes the oxygen from the' air, allowing the inert gases remaining to pass through trap 2+5 and thence into the space abovethe oil in the casing. This insures an inert atmosphere in the casing at all times and allows free breathing of the transformer. The drying and deoxidizing agents are relatively inexpensive and are capable of functioning for a'considerable length of time before becoming saturated. The replacement of said ingredients is a simple matter, it being merely necessary to so be removed and similarly filled vessels substituted therefor.

Although i have described my invention, setting forth a specific arrangement of parts and specific materials adapted to perform the desired functions, my i vention is not limited to such specific details but v lous changes both in construction and in may be within the scope thereof. For instance, the deosidizing agent may be of any suitable type, such as pyrogallic acid, or the like, and the calcium chloride may be replaced by other well known drying agents, such as sulphuric acid. The traps 2 i-5 and 1ll 13 are inserted in the apparatus to insure the functioning of the drying and deoxidizing agents but are not absolutely essential and they may be either omitted or replaced by other elements adapted to perform the same functions. The materials used in the construction of the apparatus may be of any suitable kind.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus including a casing, oil therein, and a space above the surface of said oil, a passageway between the space above the oil and the outside atmosphere, a device for maintaining an atmosphere inert to said oil, comprising a vessel in said passageway, a deoxidizer therein, a second vessel in said passageway and a drier therein.

2.- In an apparatus including a casing, oil therein, and a space above the surface of oil, a device for maintaining an atmosphere inert to said oil, comprising a vessel, a deoxidizer therein, a second vessel, a drier therein and a trap interposed between said vessels.

3. in an apparatus including a casing, oil therein, and a space above the surface of said oil, a passageway between the space above the oil and the outside atmosphere, a device for maintaining an atmosphere inert to said oil, comprising a vessel, phosphorus therein, a second vessel and calcium chloride therein, said two vessels being connected in series in said passageway.

4. In an apparatus including a casing, oil therein, and a space above the surface of said oil, a device for maintaining an atmosphere inert to said oil, comprising a vessel, phosphorus therein, a second vessel, calcium chloride therein, and a trap interposed between said vessels.

5. In an apparatus including a casing, oil therein, and a space above the surface of said oil, a device for maintaining an atmosphere inert to said oil, comprising a vessel, phosphorus therein, a second vessel, calcium chloride therein, a trap interposed between said vessels, and a trap between said device and said casing.

63. In an apparatus including a casing, oil therein, and a space above the surface of said oil, a device for maintaining an atmosphere inert to said oil, comprising a vessel, phossecond vessel, calcium phorus i erein, a chloride therein, a said vessels, trap he said conta' Jr, and vessels and traps.

The combination with transformer ta h, of apparatus connected th reto and to the atmosphere, said apparatus comprising deoztidizing means and dehydrating means and a liquid seal between said deozridizing means and said dehydrating means.

8. The combination with a tank, of means for connecting said tanlr to the atmosphere under predetermined conditions, said connecting means comprising dehydrating means, a liquid seal and deozsidizing means between said liquid seal and the tank.

9. The combination with an interconnected deoxidizin compound and a dehydrating compound, of means for separating the air or gas surrounding each compound under pre determined conditions.

10. The combination with an interconnected deonidizing compound and a dehydrating compound, of means for separating the air or gas surrounding each compound under predetermined conditions, said separating means permitting a transfer of air or gas between said compounds under other predetermined conditions.

11. The combination with a tank for containing electrical apparatus and an insulating fluid, of an expansion device therefor comprising two communicating chambers each of which is partially filled with liquid, one of said chambers communicating with i interposed between a .een said device casing enclosing said said tank above the level of fluid therein and inert gas in said tank and said one chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of December,

CLARENCE J. RODMAN. 

